Run The Jewels - the super talented hip-hop power duo of El-P and Killer Mike - has just announced new tour dates along with track listings, contributing guests, and artwork details for their forthcoming sophomore release. With cover art almost the same as last year's self-titled debut on Fool's Gold (only in a different color), the new album on Nas' new Mass Appeal Records is slated for release on October 28th. Aptly titled RTJ2, the album will feature guest spots by Zack de la Rocha, Travis Barker, Diane Coffee, and BOOTS (note this is not Boots Riley of The Coup but BOOTS the sometimes Beyoncé collaborator).

The Run The Jewels has been attracting attention of late for their impressive recent tour sets, including a stop in the Bay Area last month at Outside Lands and the previous month in New York at the Governors Ball. They've also been garnering attention with new audiences care of Killer Mike's recent guest appearance on CNN, speaking out on the grander implications of the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson (see video below).

This week Boots and The Coup, with help from some of the The Town's best turf dancers, unveiled the Yak Films produced music video for the brand new track "Land Of 7 Billion Dances" to be featured on longtime Oakland revolutionary rap group's soon to drop forthcoming album Sorry To Bother You to be released by Epitaph late next month. In advance of the financial planning of the new album's corresponding tour budget (an expensive venture especially when you have a full live hip-hop band) Boots has set up a Kickstarter fund drive to help make it all happen.

This week I reached out to DJ Pam The Funkstress, who co-founded the group back at the start of the nineties along with Boots and former member E-Roc, to ask her opinion on the new album. "It's really good but it's quite different from what I'm used to from hearing from Boots," she stressed calling the album's sound "more alternative." Additionally she said that Boots shows a lot more of his personality. "Boot's character is funnier but [he] still has the same message. There is more emotion from him and more involvement with him and the band," said Pam adding that she loves having the full band. "Yeah the band brings out so much energy in Boots, and in me, and in everyone. Live music is the best!" Because of its more alternative sound Pam said that she thinks that this album could reach an even broader audience than the Coup have previously reached.